Feral Blood
by midnightphantom13
Summary: Professor X has found a very unique mutant, however if she doesn’t let go of her dark past, the X-Men might be dealing with a savage and feral mutant with animalistic tendencies. Can she be saved before instinct takes over? Nightcrawler/OC R&R!
1. Recruitment Pt 1

**A.N. This is set after "Turn of the Rogue" and may or may not continue along with the entire storyline (I haven't decided yet). So this is my first X-Men Evolution story therefore reviews and constructive criticism is extremely appreciated.**

Rated T unless further noted.

Summary: Professor X has found a very unique mutant, however if she doesn't let go of her dark past, the X-Men might be dealing with a savage and feral mutant with animalistic tendencies. Can she be saved before instinct takes over? Nightcrawler/OC R&R!

Chapter One ~ Recruitment pt. 1

Professor Xavier removed the helmet-like device and read the information of Cerebro's computer screen, his face etched with concern.

_Mutant: #45232_

_Name: Leila Stone_

_Age: 17_

_Power: Mandatory Selective Shape shifting_

_Last Whereabouts: Windham, NY_

_Approach with caution, this mutant is documented to be dangerous with animalistic tendencies._

Even without meeting her face to face, he could sense the primal instinct that was beginning to take over her human mind. If he didn't intervene soon, animalistic instinct would take over and she'd become a danger to not only herself but anyone who happened to come across her. She'd become nothing more than a feral animal.

"Logan," he spoke into the cell phone, "I need you to do something for me."

* * *

Leila's breath came in gasps as she ran through the forest. Her bare feet barely made a noise on the dew soaked ground. Everything about the forest that morning was wrong. The animals were restless, the birds were quiet, and there was an eerie stillness that meant only one thing; _Man_ was in the forest. She climbed a large oak tree that was nearby a rushing stream and waited. Hopefully the sound of the stream would cover up the sound of her labored breathing and the mist it gave off would cover up some of her scent.

"I don't think she's here Logan." An accented voice from below said.

"Nah, she's here. I can smell her." Leila watched as the man below began to sniff around trying to catch her scent.

A voice, this time female replied, "Well I don't think she can go anywhere. There's a large prairie on the other side of the river and town is back the way we came."

"She isn't going anywhere." The large man replied looking up at her, "We treed us a mutant."

Knowing that she was backed into a corner, Leila was ready to fight to the death. She could feel the raw power that was bubbling through her veins. Her heart rate began to increase dramatically as she dug her nails into the bark of the tree. Her teeth were already beginning to grow sharper and more pointed and she could feel her bones and muscles quiver with unspent energy - ready to morph into whatever animal she chose.

But then the youngest of the three suddenly appeared on a tree limb near her breaking her concentration. _"Guten Tag,__keine Angst zu haben__. __Ich möchte Ihnen helfen__." _

Leila's muscles relaxed slightly when her focus was shattered by the blue creature who teleported again until he was right in front of her. The sudden closeness made her loose her balance and she toppled off the tree branch. The sounds of snapping tree branches and the rustling of the wind filled her ears as her legs gracefully absorbed the impact with the ground.

"Furball the goal was to talk to her, NOT to scare her!" the large guy roared which reminded her of an angry bear.

"Sorry about that," a red-haired woman laughed, "Kurt is a little crazy but he means well. You must be Leila, I'm Jean Grey."

Jean held out her hand for Leila to shake but dropped it when all she got was a pointed and confused stare.

"I'm Kurt Wagner, and this is Logan." The blue creature said sheepishly. "So you're a mutant too, ya?"

"Mutant?" she croaked; it had been months since she last saw a human let alone talked to one. "I'm not human if that's what you mean."

"Mutants are humans with special gifts." Jean explained gently, "some of us can move things with our mind, others like Kurt can teleport, some can move extremely fast, and some can even read minds. Kurt and I go to a special school for mutants where we learn how to harness our powers and control them. That's why we're here. Professor Xavier would like to offer you a place with us. You'll be amongst like-minded people who are in similar situations. We all go to school together and we are part of a team known as the 'X-Men.'"

"I'm dangerous." Leila replied firmly as she looked at the three misfits standing in front of her. Sure one was blue and furry but overall they looked like normal human beings…well except the bear-like one. She sensed that there was something animalistic about him for sure.

"I know it may seem like that at first," Kurt replied, breaking her train of thought, "but at Xavier's school you can learn how to control your powers so you won't pose such a risk towards people. I mean look at me, before I met Xavier I was a lonely and mean-spirited person. Now I'm the cute little fuzzball you see here."

"Right…" Logan replied rolling his eyes at Nightcrawler, "Look kid, I can tell that you like living on your own but haven't you ever wanted to go to school, hang out with kids your age, and whatever teenagers do now-a-days."

"I know how to read and write," She replied stubbornly, "and I really have no interest in learning."

Leila kept her face neutral and apathetic through the lie she just told. She actually enjoyed learning but never had the chance – or the courage – to go to school. "Anyway, how do you know I can be trusted?" Leila asked.

"Well how do you know we can be trusted?" Kurt shot back.

"I know that if I was in a fight with you I'd come out ahead, so I'll take my chances."

"Really, would you like to test that hypothesis?" Logan growled dangerously as his metal claws began to slowly retract from his knuckles. But despite the tense situation he stifled back a grin; he liked the girl's spirit and determination.

"Not unless you're willing to die." Leila shot back; her eyes flashing dangerously in the sunlight.

"Ok, so what exactly is your special ability Leila?" Jean asked hoping to steer this conversation into less dangerous waters.

"I'm a shifter" she replied, this time her eyes flashing from her natural blue to a feral yellow. "Animals are my specialty, large predatory animals."

Leila thought she saw Kurt swallow nervously, but the other two remained unfazed so she decided to try a different approach, "Listen, why would you want someone like me on this X-Men team of yours. You obviously have more than enough…power to go around," she replied looking mostly at Logan before she continued, "and besides, I'm not a people person."

_But haven't you ever wanted to experience the feeling of being normal – like you're just another teenager hanging out with her friends worrying about homework and boys? See, Professor Xavier believes that both mutants and humans can co-exist together in harmony. He can help you not only control your powers but he can teach you how to assimilate them into human society. No more hiding, no more running, and no more being afraid. You'll be able to be normal._

Leila jumped from the sudden intrusion in her mind and her body tensed up again. Except this time she could feel her control slowly slipping away as the feral part of her mind itched for dominance.

"No…leave now. Please…just get out of here." She choked out as her clothes began ripping as her body molded and changed.

"I think we've overstayed our welcome." Kurt said while grabbing both Logan and Jean and disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke. Seconds later a large cougar swatted at the empty air and took off into the forest.

* * *

Once back at the mansion, Logan and Xavier sat outside discussing their options.

"You should've seen her Professor, she's going feral alright. I could smell the fear radiating off of her even when she was thirty feet up in a tree. Of course, the elf popping up beside her like that wasn't too smart either."

"Well I don't think you being there set her off," Xavier replied thoughtfully, "I should've warned Jean about using her telepathic powers on such an unstable mutant."

"Unstable – you make her sound like a mental patient." Logan replied slightly defensively.

"Well not mentally unstable but perhaps emotionally, I did some research of my own and found a circus stationed over in Russia that was run by gypsies. It turns out that when Leila was young, she was sold to the circus and was treated almost like a slave. Unfortunately, during that time her mutant powers became active and she accidentally phased and killed one of the men working."

"Huh, no wonder she has problems trusting people." Logan replied thoughtfully, "She's been on the run from humans for most of her life."

"Yes and for good reason too, but the self-induced exile made it almost impossible for her to control her powers while around large groups of people. I fear Jean's attempt to get through to her startled her so -much that she resorted back to the only thing she knew – her animal instincts."

"Perhaps she'd be more likely to listen to one of us alone. Ya know, maybe we wouldn't be so much of a threat to her."

"That's a good idea Logan; I'll check Cerebro and tell you her location tomorrow." Xavier replied while driving off.

"No wait…I wasn't exactly volunteering." Logan called after him.

"Great…"

**A.N. Oh you know what I actually realized, Lelia is a lot like Wolfsbane save for the fact that she can turn into more than a wolf. Ha, I just thought that was kind of funny so anyway…I don't know when I'll be able to get the next chapter up. It all depends upon how well you guys liked it and how swamped I'll be with finals coming up. So please review and tell me what you think. This is my first X-Men fan fic so any input at all would be greatly appreciated!**

**Translations:**

_Guten Tag,__keine Angst zu haben__. __Ich möchte Ihnen helfen__ roughly translates to "Good Day (or hello), do not be afraid, I'm here to help you."_


	2. Recruitment Pt 2

**A.N. I'd like to say thank you to all of my awesome reviewers and readers, the turnout for this story was really unsuspected. I'm pleased that you like it, and since you like it and I enjoy writing it, more chapters will come. So here is chapter 2. Please R&R!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from X-Men: Evolution (except of course Leila, my own creation) I am only using them from my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

Chapter 2~Recruitment Pt. 2

_Leila stood with her back to the canvas wall not looking at her master's eyes. It was inspection day. He claimed that he did this to make sure her "condition" wasn't adversely affecting her transition through puberty but Leila knew better. Every month, she would have to strip down to her underwear and stand there until she was allowed to leave. This humiliation lasted anywhere from thirty minutes to three hours and she wasn't allowed to move or speak. _

"_That's right girlie," the man slurred, "now yah just stand there until I say so 'er I'll beat ya with the stick for sure."_

_An hour passed, than another, and another. Leila watched as the light inside of the tent slowly began to dim and the crickets in the grass began to chirp. However, her captor didn't seem to care. After another hour he rose from the chair and stumbled over to her carrying a half empty beer bottle. _

"_Ya'd be quite a catch if yer weren't such a freak." He laughed, caressing her cheek. "But we can fix freaks an' make 'em normal. Yah want to be normal don't ya?"_

_Leila nodded; she would give anything to be normal. To be able to experience strong emotions like fear, anger, sorrow, happiness, and pain without morphing into a beast._

"_Well the men outside of these walls won't care. They'll just see you as a gypsy – an' outcast. But I don't. Yer a very pretty girl Leila an' a pretty girl like you will need a husband. I'll make you happy, just ask any woman around and they'll tell you 'oh that ol' Harvey is such a nice fella.' An' when they say nice, they ain't just talking about my personality either." He said while unlocking the chain she was tethered to._

_Once Leila was released, she ran across the clearing to the barn, locked herself inside, and cried herself to sleep._

* * *

When Leila woke up she was covered in blood and feathers. Her hair and her clothes were matted to her body and she had a couple of deep scratches on her legs. Wincing, she stood up and began to walk to the stream to clean up.

_Snap…_

Her head whipped towards the source of the sound and her entire body froze. She tried to catch the creature's smell, but the wind wasn't blowing in her direction.

_Crack… _

Squirrels and chipmunks scattered up trees and a pheasant exploded out of the brush. Leila followed suit and took off deeper into the forest. Her bare feet made almost no noise on the soft forest floor – a stark contrast to her already labored breathing. After a while, the dense underbrush began to thin out and she could clearly see the roofs of cabins through the tree line. She stopped at the edge of a logging road and held her breath. Ignoring her own frantic heartbeat, she could hear the hum of a motorcycle idling nearby and the sound of her pursuer gaining ground. If she could just make to the river on the other side, she could cover up her scent and slip away.

But once her foot touched the gravel, she was knocked to the ground by a large and heavy object. Leila instinctively reacted and began to claw and bite at anything that was exposed. She wrestled around blindly with the man until he pinned her to the ground and covered her mouth with his hand. His weight pressed painfully down upon her, making it hard for her to breathe.

Minutes passed and neither one of them dared to breathe. The air hummed with energy and then passed as quickly as it came.

"Ok, I'm going to let you up now. So please don't try to scratch my eyes out again."

Leila coughed, trying to get her lungs breathing again. Her ribs and chest hurt and her scratches were bleeding again.

"Oh no, not you again." She moaned hoarsely when she finally opened her eyes.

"Be glad it was only me and not the person who was following you." Logan replied helping Leila up.

"Yeah, well he or she is gone now. So thanks and see you later."

"Whoa, wait!" Logan called after her, "Maybe you should come back with me. There's someone who wants to meet you and it will give you a chance to clean up and stuff. It looks like you've had a rough night."

"Whatever you're trying to sell me and whatever you're trying to do, I don't want it! Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

"Kid, I'm giving you a choice. You can come with me, learn to harness you're powers, and possibly gain some friends in the process, or you can stay here and let Magneto find you. But I can promise that when he does find you, he won't give you a choice."

Leila's heart soared with hope, she'd be able to be around other people, go to school, and finally live a normal life. No more hiding and no more running from hunters, she'd be free.

"Fine, but I'm not ridding on the motorcycle."

"Yes you are." Logan replied, in a 'case closed' sort of tone.

They stared each other down for a moment until Leila walked towards the bike with a scowl. Logan handed her his helmet and got on the bike.

"Where's _your_ helmet?" she grumbled, latching the buckle under her chin and pushing the Plexiglas windshield in front of her face.

"Don't need one." He replied as he kicked the bike to life.

When Leila and Logan reached the Institute, Professor Xavier and Jean were waiting for them by the garage.

"Welcome Leila, I'm glad you decided to join us. I'm Charles Xavier and I think you've already met Jean Grey."

"Hello," Jean replied cheerfully, "It's nice to see you again. Would you like to take a tour of the place?"

Leila looked around cautiously and her nostrils flared as she evaluated her surroundings. The entire place was surrounded by trees and the second story windows looked low enough to jump out of in case of an emergency.

"You said this was a school, right?" she replied, "Well, I don't see any students."

"All of the kids are at school right now." Xavier replied, "Jean volunteered to take part of the day off to help you get settled in. Aurora Monroe, the other teacher at this school, is probably organizing a simulation drill for the X Men after school. So don't worry, you are safe here."

Xavier's smile was warm and inviting, but she still couldn't allow herself to fully trust him. After he met her eyes for a brief moment, she allowed herself to be pulled towards the mansion by Jean.

"How old are you Leila?"

"Seventeen."

"Well that's cool, I turn eighteen this coming September." Jean replied, "Most of the kids here are around our age. Both Kurt and Evan are sophomores, Kitty is a freshman – she's the youngest of our group, and Rogue, Scott and I are juniors. What grade are you in?"

"I dunno, I've never gone to public school before." Leila mumbled, slightly embarrassed. The only formal education she received was when missionaries passed through the gypsy's camp and tried to educate the workers. She wasn't allowed to participate of course, but from what she overheard, schooling and education seemed like a marvelous idea.

"Oh," Jean finished lamely, "Well, I could try and teach you some stuff on weekends."

"No, that's alright. I'll…manage."

Not convinced, but not wanting to push the subject Jean opened the front door. The main sitting room looked exactly like it did when the gang left for school. Evan's extra skateboard was stashed in the corner; Rogue's CD player was lying on the coffee table, and the food from breakfast was only partially put away.

"I apologize for the mess; you must think a bunch of animals live here." Jean laughed, leading Leila upstairs. "You'll be sharing a room with me. There are phones in each of the rooms if you want to call someone, and there are two bathrooms down the hall, one for the guys and one for the girls. Of course, I recommend showering the night before because the traffic in the bathroom get's pretty hectic. Well I think that's all, now I need to get back to school but if you have any questions, the professor, Logan, or Storm are usually here. I'll see you when school's over"

The quietness of the house was spooky. Leila, who was so accustomed to hearing the afternoon bird songs and the occasional bleat of a doe grazing, was left with utter silence. While exploring the room, she found a bag of clothes next to the foot of her bed. Leila saw there was a piece of paper lying on top of the bag, but she couldn't make out the unfamiliar writing. Inside the bag were jeans, t-shirts, and undergarments of different sizes. She pulled out an item of each and then made her way to the bathroom. After taking a moment to figure out how to operate the shower, she stripped from her ragged and dirty clothes and moaned as the hot water hit her back.

"_Holy cow, this so beats bathing in the river."_ Leila thought as she shampooed and conditioned her hair before turning off the shower and wrapping herself in a towel. She changed into fresh clothes and stuffed the shredded ones into the trash can next to the door.

Then for the first time in three years she looked at herself in the mirror. The dirt, blood, and grime that were on her face were washed away and her suntanned skin was finally visible. Her damp hair hung down in dark ringlets around her face accenting the Middle Eastern features she inherited from her biological mother. Her striking green eyes were a biological anomaly which often drew immense admiration – or fear- when she was younger. Leila thought back to when she was seven, six months before her mother died; a man at the market pulled a knife on her mother and ordered them to leave. He claimed that Leila was sent by Satan to tempt men away from God, or as he put it, "she will hide like a wolf in the Lord's flock." Ironically enough, she transformed into a wolf that very night and ran away two days later.

Leila wiped at the tears that were brimming in her eyes and walked back to her room. She spent her entire life suppressing memories like these and she'd be dammed if they worked their way to the surface again.

**A.N. Hopefully I'll be able to get these chapters out in a more timely fashion now that school is coming to a close and finals and AP tests are almost done. Of course, working every almost every single day hasn't helped either. So please review, they are really REALLY appreciated and help to brighten up my day (whether they're good or not.) Constructive criticism is also appreciated. I want to know what to work on (writing style, grammar, spelling ect…). So drop me a line and tell me what you think!**


	3. Accidents and Control

Chapter 3 ~ Accidents and Control

**A.N. First of all, if you want to know what Leila looks like, google "Lucy Hale" she's the best fit physically that I could find. (Though I will try and describe her verbally as much as possible too.)**

**Second of all, thanks again for the comments! They do not go unread or unnoticed. **

**Third of all, Kurt will not have a readable accent (when you read it aloud you will not sound German). All other accents will try to be kept as true and accurate as possible.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from X Men evolution (except Leila) and I'm only borrowing them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

After putting her donated clothes into the dresser next to her bed, she began to explore the rest of the mansion. Down the hall were the rest of the students' and professors' rooms, each with their own unique scent that Leila began to memorize. Farther down the hall was a giant library which had a couch and a fireplace that wasn't lit. Books were stacked neatly on the shelves just begging to be read. It had been almost ten years since Leila had even touched a book let alone read one and she was itching to make up for lost time.

"Are you finding everything to your liking?" the professor asked from the doorway.

"It's a lot to take in," Leila confessed, "but I guess I never realized what I was missing until now."

"Have a seat Leila," the professor said, motioning to the couch nearby. "I want you to know that living here is your choice. You are not a prisoner and you do not need to feel obligated into staying here. I asked Logan bring you here because I wanted to explain to you exactly what this school is for. You see, this school was created to teach mutants how to control their powers so that one day when the existence of mutants is revealed to the world, the students here can be successfully assimilated into society without fearing that they may accidentally harm someone with their powers. The X Men are a group of students who most embody the idea here. They use their powers to help people and the also work as a team to defeat the not-so-cooperative mutants. Magneto's group called "The Brotherhood" is trying to gain supremacy over the human race through domination and physical force. He is well aware of your presence here and I'm sure he'll be stopping by soon enough to get you to join his cause."

Silence penetrated the room as the professor waited for her to absorb all of the information he just gave her.

"And what makes you think humans will accept us just like that?" Leila asked, involuntarily moving her hand to a scar near the nape of her neck.

"They won't, but my goal is that they'll see that mutants are just like people – both good and bad – and if they can see the good in my students, then maybe they'll be a little more accepting of them."

Even though this idea was an idealistic and slightly farfetched one, Leila admired his determination.

"So what do you say? Are you willing to join us?"

"Yeah, I'll give it a go." She replied quietly. If anything, she really wanted to be around people again.

"Um professor," Jean interrupted, "The students are back and they're waiting downstairs for Leila."

"Great, you can announce your decision there." The professor replied before wheeling towards the door.

"Wait, I don't know if I can do this." Leila confessed, "I'm not good with large groups – if you know what I mean. I don't want to hurt anyone."

Xavier smiled kindly at her concern for the other student's safety, "If at any time you feel this is too much, let me know. But you'll find that the students here are not as fragile as you might think."

Leila followed Jean and the professor out to the living room where five other students were talking amongst themselves.

"X Men this is Leila Stone, she's going to be joining us here." Xavier announced, "

"So what's your power Leila?" an African American kid holding a skateboard asked.

"I'm a shapeshifter." Again, her eyes momentarily flashed yellow as her bestial nature tried to push through.

_Deep breaths_, she reminded herself.

"Wait a second Mystique is a shapeshifter, how do we know it's not her." The Goth girl with a southern accent said. Leila could defiantly sense the fear radiating off of her.

"Because I would know Rogue, as would Jean." The professor replied. "You have to trust that I wouldn't purposely endanger you."

"I know, I'm guess I'm a lil' gun-shy."

"So do you need a ride to school tomorrow?" the tall guy with the red sunglasses asked.

"Thank you Scott, but no" Xavier answered, "Leila is going to do schooling here for a while, at least until she can get caught up."

Relief flooded through her, even though going to school was Leila's ultimate goal; she didn't think she was ready to handle being enclosed with thirty students in a tiny room just yet.

"We have a gift for you," a woman said in a slight African accent. "We bought it from a group of people living in Jump City, California. Luckily there's a young boy there who has the same abilities as you. This uniform will not tear or shred regardless of what form you take. That way you can maintain some your modesty when shifting from different forms."

"Thank you." Leila replied, the clothing issue was one of her largest concerns. Denim and cotton didn't fare to well when transforming into a four-legged beast and the clothing didn't reappear when you transformed back. In the seclusion of the forest this wasn't a problem, but she wasn't a fan of having more people gawk at her nakedness. She had enough of that back at the gypsy camp.

Suddenly the youngest who was sitting next to Kurt got up, walked past Leila, and picked up her backpack. Then the kid with the skateboard and the Goth followed suit. She tensed up as they walked around her – fellow mutants, yes but strangers nonetheless.

_Woosh_

A wooden spike flew past Leila's ear and hit an empty soda can on the table and knocked it into the nearby garbage. Energy surged through her body as her mind told her to attack the assailant.

"Storm, please escort Evan out into the kitchen." Professor Xavier ordered sternly, sensing Leila's distress.

"Evan, you couldn't walk the five steps to pick up that can and throw it away couldn't you?" Orroro admonished as she pushed Evan through the door.

Even though the threat was gone, energy and power were still pumping through her body. Leila took a few deep breaths to steady her trembling body and finally willed away the change.

"Woah, that was like really tense." The youngest girl said breaking the silence as she walked back to the sofa – this time giving Leila a wider berth.

"I…I have to go." Leila said quietly, "Thank you for the gift. It's really nice."

The energy and the need to phase were still there and wouldn't go away until she gave in. If someone so much as sneezed, she would probably lose the control she worked so hard to keep. As she walked past everyone she noticed how tense they all looked. Logan watched her intently as three metal claws glinted in the setting sun, Scott's hand was fingering with the earpiece of his sunglasses, and Rogue had her hand on the base of her leather glove. Once outside, she easily scaled the gate and took off into the forest. After quickly shedding her clothes, she let the power consume her and she became a beast once more.

~/~

"Professor, I don't think it was a good idea to bring her here." Scott said once Orroro and Evan rejoined the group. "If it wasn't for you, Evan would've been kibble."

"I didn't do anything Scott," the professor replied, "the will power she demonstrated was done entirely on her own."

"She's dangerous Professor! How long will it be before Kurt pops up next to her and she mauls him?"

"Hey, that's not fair!" Kurt interjected, "I already did that once and I'm still here. Plus, it's not her fault. So she has a problem socializing, don't we all?"

"Leila is no more dangerous than you or I, Scott." The professor said addressing the entire room, "Are you going to turn her away just because she has a trouble controlling her powers. As I recall, every person in this room has had problems controlling their mutant abilities – that's why you're here, to learn control."

"But sometimes mutants are too dangerous to be helped. She could snap at any moment and kill a student."

"So could I kid," Logan replied, "but we've dealt with tougher stuff before and just because her control ain't quite there yet don't mean we should throw her out on the street. That's not what Charles has taught you guys and that's not what the X-Men stand for!"

"Logan is right," Xavier replied, "Now I suggest we all go down to the danger room for our evening session and discuss this at a later time."

~/~

It was close to eleven o'clock before Leila made it back onto the mansion grounds. The long run was refreshing, and the chilly March wind helped to numb the new self-inflicted scratches that covered her shoulders and chest.

The living room was quiet as she entered and an eerie sort of silence filled the house again. She could hear the soft breathing of the people sleeping and tried to creep up the stairs as quietly as she could. After cleaning herself up in the bathroom, Leila went back to her room and found a note on her bed.

"Please meet me in the Danger Room at 9:30 tomorrow morning to start your training.

-Storm"

She put the note on the bedside dresser and fell asleep even before her head hit the pillow.

_Smoke filled the house making breathing almost impossible as Leila army-crawled to her mom's bedroom pushing her little seven year old body as hard as it would go. She felt the door with the back of her hand and opened it when she felt it was cool. _

"_Mama!" she cried, coughing as the acrid smoke burned her lungs. "Mama, where are you?"_

_Leila heard a voice muttering something and she followed its sound to the bathroom._

"_Mama?"_

"_**Padre nostro che sei nei cieli sia santificato il tuo nome venga il tuo regno**__…" _

"_Mama, we need to get out of here. Papi went for help but he may not get back in time. Please Mama, let's go!"_

_Leila grabbed her mom's hand but she pulled it from her grasp and continued praying._

_"__**Come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori. E non ci indurre in tentazione ma liberaci dal male**__. __Amen."_

"_**Va bene**__ mama, now let's go!"_

_Leila tried to drag her out of the bathtub but her mother put up a struggle and pushed her away._

_With shaking hands, her mother picked up a revolver that was lying in the bottom of the tub and whispered, "Into thine hands I commend thee my soul, Lord."_

"_Mama…"_

_CRASH_

_The floor collapsed beneath Leila's feet and she heard the gunshot and a sickening thud before she fell into the debris below._

Leila jolted awake and looked around the room. Jean was still asleep and the sky was barely beginning to lighten. She looked over at her clock it read 5:53 but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't get back to sleep. Images of her mother's suicide played through her head like a broken record, but the raw feelings of anger, sadness, and betrayal were just as fresh as they were eleven years ago. She often wondered why her mother hated her so much that she'd take her own life. She didn't look any different than her family. She had the same southern Italian features, olive complexion, dark hair, and their smaller and slighter build. At first, she thought it was because of her mutation but her mother swore to her that her "specialty" didn't change anything. Even though her mother was a deeply religious woman, it never changed the mother-daughter bond they had prior to her death.

Leila rubbed touched the scar on her neck again as she thought about that night and the lonely nights that followed. Hopefully Professor Xavier's plan of mutant assimilation would be successful because if Italy couldn't handle the presence of a mutant, she doubts the rest of the world could either.

**A.N. Yay! I hope you liked it. This chapter took longer than normal since I had to wait until school was done to actually do it justice. So please drop me a review and let me know what you thought. Comments, critique, anything is great. **

**PS. Religious elements are often an integral part of my stories and I just want all of my readers to know, yes I write about religion only because it helps my story (and because it gives Kurt and Leila something to relate to) but I will NEVER preach or purposely offend anyone with my occasional religious themes.**

**Translations:**

**Padre nostro che sei nei cieli sia santificato il tuo nome venga il tuo regno…" **

"**Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thine name"**

"**Come noi li rimettiamo ai nostri debitori. E non ci indurre in tentazione ma liberaci dal male. Amen"**

"**And lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil. Amen"**

"**Va Bene" = Okay or Alright**


	4. The Danger Room

**A.N. I finally have the fourth chapter up for everyone. Hopefully you guys haven't lost faith in the story yet. Life is hectic and writing a decent chapter is hard when you work 40+ hours a week. Thank you for hanging in there and I hope you enjoy it! R&R!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from X-Men Evolution (except for Leila) I'm only using them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

Chapter 4 – The Danger Room

"Have you found the girl?" A voice from the darkness asked Principal Darkholm.

"Yes, unfortunately Xavier has convinced her to join the X Men." the woman replied darkly. The tough persona that she used to intimidate students had no effect on the man in the shadows. "Why didn't you confront her in the forest? She was as good as ours until Wolverine showed up."

"Don't be so naïve Mystique; as long as Wolverine was there I wasn't getting anywhere near Leila without a fight and frankly Xavier's guard dog isn't worth my time." the man replied, "But with Leila being under Xavier's tutelage, her powers will grow stronger every day and having complete control over her powers is exactly what her father wants for her.

"Since when did Ayrax Nasrin care about his daughter? The last I heard, he was a street rat in Saudi Arabia."

"Ah, well our friend has risen substantially up the social ladder since then. His name is now Lord Nasrin and it's only through his generous funding that the construction of my mutant enhancer can finally begin."

"Lord Nasrin isn't usually known for his charity." Mystique pointed out.

"Yes but I have the one thing he wants and when Leila learns to control her powers, he'll find that I can be very persuasive indeed."

* * *

Leila drained the last bit of milk from her glass and set her glass and bowl in the dishwasher. Sure, breakfast was noisy but it certainly beat having to go hunting for food every day.

"Whoever is ridding with me has fifteen minutes to meet me by my car or I'm leaving without you. I do not want to be late for first period again." Scott announced as he cleared his dishes from the table.

Kitty and Rogue scrambled out of their chairs and raced up the stairs to grab the rest of their school belongings while Kurt chuckled.

"Ah, the perks of being able to teleport." he sighed.

"That means you too," Scott replied, "You're still on probation for the stunt you pulled last week during our training simulation."

"Aw man,"

"And Leila, Storm had to go in early to talk with one of Evan's teachers so Logan will be doing your training session this morning. He's waiting for you in the danger room."

Kurt gave her a sympathizing look before he left. Everyone knew Logan wasn't the easiest guy to train with.

When Scott left, Leila went up to her room and changed into the outfit Storm gave her. The light weight material was very freeing and she watched in amazement as the material stayed intact as she transformed into several different animals.

Satisfied that her modesty would remain intact during her transformations, Leila made her way down to the Danger Room and found Logan waiting outside the door with an expectant expression on his face.

"Here are your instructions," Logan said, pulling out a stopwatch from his pocket, "You have ten minutes to go in and rescue the innocent civilian and bring him back to the door alive. Points will be deducted if the dummy is harmed in any way or if you go over the time limit. Oh, and expect surprises. This is a training simulation to prepare you for a real life battle, so try your best to concentrate and not to not let anything spook ya. I'll be upstairs with Professor X monitoring your progress. Time will start when the doors open, good luck kid."

When Logan left, the doors slowly opened and Leila stepped inside. At first she thought she somehow found her way back to the forest but then realized that the room was made to look like this. Even though it was dark, the artificial stars gave her enough light to see and she took off into the forest.

Leila felt free again and the feeling of unbounded excitement and abandonment flowed through her veins. After catching the dummy's plastic scent, she followed it to the base of a large tree. She eventually found the dummy stashed under the roots of a very large tree and made her way back to the door.

"Why hello girlie" a man suddenly said as he stepped out from behind a tree.

Leila jumped, spun around, and found herself face to face with her worst nightmare.

"No, bu-but you're dead!" she said trying to keep her voice steady.

_How could Harvey be here? No, this isn't right, I killed him. _Leila thought to herself while trying to mask the panic on her face.

"Aw, don' be like that." The man said in a familiar voice, "You remember me don' ya? Remember all the fun we use'a have together?"

His breath reeked of alcohol as he grabbed her hand and began pulling her towards the door.

"Nah yer coming with me, you've got ten years of work you need to catch up on."

Leila could feel herself beginning to change. Her body tensed up and there was a moment of excruciating pain before she could feel the human side of her start to slip away. Once the pain subsided she growled and attacked, knocking Harvey to the ground. Then suddenly an icy rain began to fall from the sky, accompanied by large bolts of lightning, and loud sounds of rolling thunder.

"Leila, stop! It's me Storm." she said as she tried to wrestle the large wolf off of her.

Strong winds began to blow and Leila was knocked off of Storm and blown into a tree. Both Logan and the Professor watched in horror as Storm tried her best to fend off the attacking beast.

"Logan, get down there." Professor Xavier ordered, "For some reason she doesn't recognize Storm. Perhaps this training session was a mistake; maybe she's not ready yet."

"Leila, stop! I don't want to hurt you." Storm warned as lightning bolts flashed dangerously close to both of them.

Gradually the room began to phase back into its normal layout and both Leila and Storm noticed the doors open. Logan ran into the room, his claws unsheathed and positioned himself in between Storm and the enraged wolf.

"Leila, you don't want to do this." Logan said, "Don't let that animal inside you win, you need to fight it."

The wolf growled and the two began circling each other. Then in a quick burst of speed, Leila took off towards the door that was opening. Logan knew the Professor was on the other side and how vulnerable he'd be if he happened to cross the path of a charging wolf so Logan pushed a button near him which closed the door. Seeing that her only exit was blocked, she let out a mighty howl and jumped at his arm. Her fangs sunk into his flesh and warm blood flowed from the wound.

Logan managed to pry Leila's jaws open long enough to get his arm out and flung her down. Leila hit the ground hard and it took her a moment to shake the dazed feeling from her head. Taking advantage of this, Logan jumped on Leila and managed to pin her to the ground.

"Leila, stop now!" He growled in an authoritative voice, placing a large hand up on her throat. He wasn't going to choke her, but he remembered from watching some wildlife special that wolves expressed their dominance by pinning the other one down and biting their neck and he defiantly didn't want to bite her neck.

There was an agonizingly tense moment as Leila and Logan stared each other down. Finally Leila let out a low whine before she phased back into a human.

"Storm, I'm so sorry." Leila said once she found her voice, "I don't know why I didn't recognize you."

"I think I might know why but I need the Professor to confirm it first." She replied helping Leila to her feet.

"Are you alright Logan?" Leila asked, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh I'm fine, it seems you came out of this worse than I did." he replied eyeing over a few gashes on her shoulder.

"Yeah, remind me of that next time I try to pick a fight with you."

"Let's take it easy on the fighting for now." Storm said as she came up beside Leila, "Besides, I should take care of those wounds for you before they get infected."

"Thanks," Leila said meekly and allowed herself to be ushered to the infirmary.

"So what do you think, Charles?" Logan asked once Leila and Storm left. "After seeing this episode, I wouldn't put her in with the other students yet."

"No I agree," Xavier said, "but I think her problem is more psychological than mental and I think whomever it is she saw during the simulation seemed very real to her."

"So, what? Are you saying she's crazy?"

"No, she has an acute case of post traumatic stress disorder. When a person goes through something traumatic, they often internalize it and then years later it can re-emerge in their dreams or through flashbacks."

"Then why don't you go in there and wipe those memories away?"

"I'm a powerful telepath, Logan, but not that powerful." Xavier said, "If I forced her to forget all of those memories, she'd be nothing more than a shell of a person. No, I need to discover what these traumatic memories are so she can learn to let go of them."

"It's easier said than done Charles, I should know." Logan replied before walking away.

Meanwhile Leila sat on a bed as Storm rubbed anti-bacterial ointment over the fresh cuts. Leila felt her hot gaze as she worked diligently making sure to get every scratch and cut on her back on shoulders.

"It looks as though you were clawed up by an animal." Storm remarked, looking at the pink scars that riddled her skin. She noticed that many of the wounds weren't from the battle with Logan and there were deep gashes that were just beginning to heal.

"Technically I was." she replied, putting her uniform top back on.

"Why do you do that?" Storm asked, "Why do you inflict pain upon yourself?"

Leila looked at her for a long moment, considering her answer carefully until she finally looked off towards the floor.

"My power isn't a pleasant one to have." She began, "I'm sure that Logan feels some pain when his claws come out, well I feel that same pain a hundred fold every time I morph. Try and imagine how it would feel as the muscles in your body melted and then reformed, the bones breaking and re-mending, and your own skin splitting as it reformed around your new skeleton. Sometimes I don't even know I'm hurting myself, I just need the pain as a focus point so I don't go insane. Other times, it's because I need the pain to remind me that I'm still human. When I transform, my human mind retreats as the animal instincts take over. I need the pain to keep my human mind focused so I can be in control for a moment longer.

There was an awkward moment of silence until Storm spoke, "It must take a great amount of will to try and control those powerful urges and by not harming me you've shown that you defiantly have a good start on fully mastering your powers. The professor, Logan and I see great things–"

"Storm," Leila said cutting her off, "I don't know why I snapped back today but I can assure you it had nothing to do with me controlling my powers. Plus, whatever's going on in my head spells danger for anyone near me; so I beg you, do not put me with the rest of the students until I have this under control. Thankfully I'm more at ease around humans than I have ever been in my life but I wouldn't tempt fate. I mean what happened with your nephew…"

"That was an accident Leila. It was Evan's fault in the first place, he likes to show off." Storm interjected gently.

"People around me die Storm, you have to understand that. Your nephew was incredibly close to being mauled by an animal yesterday so please do not justify his actions to make me feel better."

"But the important thing is you didn't hurt anyone – yesterday or today – and I do see great potential in you even if you can't see it in yourself."

"The only thing that I see in myself is the animal I really am." Leila said sadly as she walked out of the infirmary and went back to her room.

**A.N. I'm sorry for that awful ending. I just really needed to end it and wanted to write something before i got sick of this chapter all together. This chapter has taken me forever to write and I apologize for the extremely late update. Please tell me what you think! I have so many plans on how I want the storyline to go and it would help my decision greatly if everyone dropped me a review…I know I ask too much. Also, constructive criticism is greatly (and I do mean greatly) appreciated.**


	5. Repressed Memories

**A.N. I apologize ahead of time for the quality of some of the writing. There were some parts that I couldn't figure out how I exactly wanted to phrase something and so instead struggling with it, I left it. Anyway I hope you enjoy! Please Read and Review!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in X-Men Evolution – except Leila, she's mine – I am only borrowing them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

**This chapter contains some graphic content that may not be acceptable to all readers, reader's discretion is advised. This chapter is rated M for brief language and a disturbing flashback. You have been warned.**

Chapter 5 – Repressed Memories

"Leila, will you come in here a moment." Xavier said as she passed by his office on her way to her room.

She walked into the room with her eyes focused on the carpet. _He's probably going to send me away. _She thought sadly, _I shouldn't even be here in the first place. I was foolish to think I could safely interact with other people._

"I'm not making you leave the institute," Xavier said gently, "I just want to talk to you, so please, sit down."

She sat down on a sofa near him but kept her guard up. He was up to something and it made her anxious.

"Leila, I know there are things in your past you'd like to forget but when you push them aside and try to pretend that they never happened problems may arise – such as what happened today – which can put the people around you at risk. I know that blocking things out is your way of dealing with traumatic events, but I can assure you that talking about them is more beneficial and…well easier in the long run."

"Professor, have you ever done something so horrific, something so horrible, that you wish you could erase it from your memory forever?"

"Yes," he replied, I believe it is a great and wonderful flaw in our human psyche. Regret is our mind telling us that what we just did wasn't right and it usually won't go away until we somehow rectify it.

"But what if you can't rectify it? What if what you did was so awful that it haunted your every waking thought?"

"And have you done something of that sort Leila?" Xavier asked, seriously.

"Yes."

"And is that what has been haunting you?"

"Well, not what I've done but what someone did to me." she replied in almost a whisper.

"Leila, I think it would be easier if I used my telepathy to help you find the source of these flashbacks. We can uncover what has really been troubling you and can possibly fix it. If it's alright with you that is."

"I don't think it's going to be that easy, but just think about the circumstances before you make any judgments. My past isn't a very glorious or pleasant one."

"Just lie down on the couch and close your eyes." he commanded in a soothing voice, "I will not hurt you, just relax…"

_The sun was just setting beneath the tree line which casted a ruby glow throughout the camp. Leila was sitting near a large and colorful tent, her hands nimbly struck the flint onto the knife she was holding and soon a fire blazed warmly in the pit in front of her. The iron shackles that bound her rattled ominously reminding her constantly of her forced servitude. Once the fire was set and in no danger or going out, she entered the large tent wordlessly and brought Harvey his dinner._

"_Ah, thank ya' meh lady." He slurred as she set the plate of food down next to him._

_Leila made no reply and as she began to leave a cold and dirty hand grasped her wrist._

"_Ah never realized how much ya've grown up Leila." Harvey slurred, standing up. His six and a half foot frame towered over Leila's five and a half foot one. "Ya've grown up so much and I think yer old enough now."_

_Leila had no clue what he was talking about and as she tried to pry her hand from his steel-like grip, he only pulled her closer._

"_Ah'll the right parts, in ah'll the right places, an' to think yer not even old enough to drive yet." She found herself backed up against one of the tent's wooden support structures and finally realized what was about to happen._

"_No!" She screamed as Harvey forced her to the ground. With one fluid motion, he ripped the crude dress she had made out of an oversized shirt and flung it to the side. Leila was exposed in front of God and everyone and the shame crept to her face. She tried to use her arms to cover up but they were pried away from her body by more pairs of hands. _

_Leila tried to imagine herself elsewhere as Harvey and his men abused her fourteen year old body but it was no use. The pain she felt greatly surpassed anything she experienced from phasing and she could tell it was about to get worse. _

"_Don't you dare cry, you worthless little dog." One of Harvey's men said, "I'll give you something to cry about."_

_She felt a burning pain on her face as she realized the man just slapped her. Harvey laughed and took another drink from the whiskey bottle next to him and crouched down on the ground._

"_Back up, I can tell she wants the best fo' last." _

_He approached her with an evil grin on his face and Leila lost it. There was a split second of pain and then sweet and unbridled power. Where the pitiful slave lied, a large and very angry lioness stood in her place. Harvey and his men began falling over each other to try and escape but it was no use. In a matter of minutes, Leila killed every one of them and escaped from the tent._

_With the taste of human blood already on her tongue, she set in search of more. Four hundred feet away were the tents housing the married women and their children. To her, the women were no better than the men back in the tent. All of them were Harvey's prostitutes and many of their children were his bastard children. Still, she served them all these years and not once did they offer her a kind word or a friendly gesture. The women looked down at her in contempt and the children threw rocks at her as she passed by. The only woman that showed her any compassion was the medicine woman who lived on the edge of camp exiled from everyone else._

_By now the sun was completely gone and a comforting silence blanketed the camp. The sounds of crickets and bullfrogs could be heard off in the distance while everyone slept soundly, not realizing that Death had come to claim them all. In a matter of twenty minutes, almost all of the women and children were murdered and their bodies left where they fell. On her way into the forest she passed the medicine woman's tent and in a moment of spontaneity, decided to go inside. Instead of the woman being asleep – as Leila hoped – she and her child were sitting by the fire pit as if awaiting their deaths. _

"_Pweety kitty." the child said, her big blue eyes seemed to sparkle like sapphires._

"_Have you come to claim us then, Leila?" the mother asked quietly, almost as if the lion was here to escort her to a party rather than to extract vengeance._

_Even though this woman hadn't done anything to her, she still felt a strong and almost subconscious pull towards the child. Bowing to her body's wish, Leila began to walking towards the child but stopped when instead of running in fear; the she met her in the middle and placed a small hand on her snout. It would've only taken a quick snap of her jaws and the child's arm would've been gone, but something kept Leila from doing it. Something kept her from acknowledging the dark instincts within her and managed to somehow tame the beast within._

"_Swee momma, kitty no bad." The child said in broken sentences. But rather than looking overjoyed at the fact that she and her child were going to live, the mother looked frightened._

"_Esmeralda hush," she scolded, "I must apologize for my daughter__** Löwin**__, she is just a child and doesn't quite grasp what you are."_

"_And what am I?" Leila asked, but instead of a voice, a low yowl came out. _

"_Hush," she replied, "do not make too much noise, you're kind aren't common in these parts and someone will come to investigate if they hear you making sounds. Go, leave now__** Löwin. **__You are free."_

_As Leila ran out of the tent, she heard the child call out a farewell before her mother ushered her inside. Perhaps it was the animal inside her elated to finally be free, but there was a sense of unbridled ecstasy that coursed through Leila's blood as she ran on the tundra frozen ground. But there also a large hole of self hatred just waiting to erupt once the high wore off, the pain only kept at bay momentarily as she ran 600 miles to Moscow._

Leila's eyes snapped open and she sat up quickly from the couch. That was the first time she's ever recollected that night so…vividly and completely.

"Leila, are you alright?" Professor Xavier asked quietly.

"I…I don't know." she replied. "This is the first time I've ever really thought about that night since it happened."

To her dismay, she tears fell down her cheeks and she pulled her knees into her chest.

"Leila, none of this was your fault." the professor said gently, "What Harvey and those men did to you was atrocious and you had every right to defend yourself."

"Yes, but what about the rest of them – the women and children – did I have a right to kill them as well?"

"Why do you think you killed those women?"

"I…I don't know. I was scared and injured. I didn't even mean to transform back there. But you've got to understand; once my mother died, I wandered the forest for a couple of years before I was caught stealing food from Harvey's tent. He caught me and for three years I was the main attraction each night the gypsies would enter a new town. I was forced to go out onto the stage naked as men hooted and yelled awful things at me."

"I was nothing more than a prostitute," she spat as she began pacing the room. "But when Harvey found out what I was, he exploited me. He used my 'condition' as an excuse to molest me and when I finally matured, he took me out of his show and used me as his own personal slave. He chained me outside like an animal and with nothing more than an old shirt to keep me warm during those Russian winters. I had to phase or I'd die."

"But as someone so young, you couldn't control what you did once you phased." Xavier concluded. Pity and sympathy was etched in his face.

Leila was near the window and glanced outside. "Harvey stole the only two things I ever had completely to myself- my freedom and my innocence. He chained me up, starved me, beat me, and…raped me so please forgive me if I don't think he deserved to live."

Struggling to keep her voice from wavering she continued, "As for the women, they chose the life they were living. Many of them were college students drawn by Harvey's promise to give them a better life. They of course didn't realize their idea for a better life was actually living like a homeless person, stealing from tourists. No, they did not deserve to die but they weren't entirely bereft of sin either.

"What about the woman and her daughter?" Xavier asked.

"What about them? The last time I saw them was that night. I always assumed…or at least hoped that she moved out of Russia and started her life anew someplace else. Of course, it's probably just wistful thinking."

"What interests me is the profound effect Esmeralda had over you. An inexperienced and scared mutant would've lashed out at them as well, regardless of their innocence. Yet you displayed a very high degree of control in an emotional situation. It just confirms that with time and practice, you can gain full control over your powers. We just need to figure out the best way to do it."

"_There's no way I was in control that night,"_ Leila thought, "_Maybe it because Esmeralda was just a child and her innocence appealed to the small ounce of humanity I had at the time or maybe she was displaying her own set of…unique gifts."_

"Professor, is it possible for children to exhibit mutant abilities at a young age?" Leila asked.

"Yes, but it's usually very uncommon. A person's mutant abilities don't usually manifest themselves until the boy or girl reaches puberty and experiences a traumatic or stressful event. But it's different for everyone. There really isn't a correct "time" for a person's powers to surface. Why do you ask?"

"Because I think Esmeralda is a mutant." Leila confessed, "I mean, when I first entered the tent all I could think about was getting revenge but once she looked at me, all of my anger and hatred ebbed a way a little bit. That night was the only time I've been able to think clearly as an animal."

"It's certainly possible but I won't be able to know for sure until Cerebro detects that she's openly and actively using her powers. Until then, all we can do is wait."

"Thank you Professor." Leila said, "As hard as it is for me to come to grips with my past, it's comforting to know that I don't need to carry this burden alone."

"And as long as you're here with us, you'll never have to. Of course if you feel more comfortable to talk to someone closer to your age, I'm sure Kurt would be willing to help you. He's right outside the door and he's worried that you've done something wrong."

When the door opened soundlessly, Kurt stood in the doorway and looked very embarrassed for being caught eavesdropping.

"I'm sorry professor, I was just wondering if Leila wanted to see the library since she won't be attending school while she's here."

"I think that's a great idea," the professor replied, smiling mischievously. He knew Kurt's concern wasn't solely academic-based and bonding with Kurt would hopefully raise her confidence so she could eventually get to know the rest of the team as well. "What do you think Leila?"

"Yeah, I suppose" she replied tersely. _The nerve of him to listen outside the door, ooh he's going to get an ear full once we leave._

"Ah ok, well we'll just leave now. See you later professor." Kurt said awkwardly as he sensed the animosity radiating from Leila' s body.

Once the pair left, Xavier let out a chuckle. They were perfect for each other – they just didn't know it yet.

**A.N. Löwin is the German word for "lioness." The woman was using this term in respect…and in fear. She and her daughter will play an interesting part in future chapters, so keep them in mind. I hope you enjoyed and I'll try to keep the chapters within the "T" rating. Of course, with this one it was a little more difficult so I decided to side with the M rating just in case. Please review as I love hearing what you think.**


	6. Confrontations and Revelations

**A.N. First off I'd like to apologize for the atrocious grammar in the last chapter. I'd also like to apologize for the extreme delay of this chapter. I just got settled into college and then a paper assignment came up…and well to make a long story short, homework, extracurricular activities, a couple of long fire alarm evacuations and the desire to not make this chapter as bad as the last one delayed me. So here is the chapter, finally. Please read and review! Like I say, they're always appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from X-Men Evolution (except Leila). I'm only borrowing them for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

Once they got to the library, Leila shut the door forcefully and rounded on Kurt.

"What were you doing outside the professor's office?" she growled angrily. Her eyes immediately sparked to their gold tint as the blood and adrenaline began pumping through her body preparing her for a fight.

"I…uh…"

"How much did you hear?"

"Not much, I swear, just something about you meeting a mutant child and whether or not her powers had anything to do with giving you better control." he replied quickly. But when Leila heard his heartbeat speed up, she knew he was hiding something.

"You're lying. I'm sure you heard more than that."

"Well I…I mean," he stuttered, trying to find the right words.

"What?!"

"There was something about you killing the other women of the camp in revenge." he replied quietly.

"And does that scare you?" Leila asked as she tried to keep the sadness from creeping into her voice. But she got no answer and asked him a little more forcefully, "I said does that scare you?"

"Yes, a little." he admitted. But seeing the slightly hurt look on her face he added, "I'm not afraid of you, Leila. I'm afraid of what may have happened after you killed those people. You let the animal inside take control."

"They deserved it." she spat. "All of the women treated Harvey like a god. He could've asked them to do anything he wanted and they'd do it without question. How do you think I got this?"

She gestured to the scar that ran from her left ear to the nape of her neck. "All he had to say was 'bring me my whore' and I would be dragged off by my hair into his tent. One night when he was exceptionally drunk he tried to force himself upon me but I kicked him in the face. He then told the women to hold me down and grabbed a metal poker from the fire pit outside. He said that I was nothing more than a useless bitch and that I deserved to be marked as one for my disobedience. I think they deserved what they got.'"

"But you didn't deserve the emotional pain that came when you killed them." Kurt replied, "When I met you in the forest I knew you weren't a bad person, and you aren't. But you don't need to carry these burdens alone."

"I've had no choice. I've always been alone."

"But now you're not, at least not if you don't back people into a corner during a conversation." he replied playfully."

"Oh I'm sorry; I didn't know I was doing that. I guess when I'm angry I don't pay attention to a person's personal boundaries. Did I scare you again?"

"Nah, you're not that scary, just intimidating…for someone so short."

"What are you talking about? You're just as tall as me!"

"Nope, I think I'm a little taller." he replied with a smile and stood on his tip toes to prove it.

"Whatever helps you feel better about yourself I guess." she said before stalking off to a bookshelf.

"Hey, wait! Does that mean I'm forgiven?"

"Forgiven for what?"

"Eavesdropping."

"Oh, nope not even close."

"Please?" Kurt pleaded, "I'll make it up to you!"

"Oh really, and how will you do that exactly?"

Kurt thought for a moment until Scott's voice broke his concentration.

"Kurt, where are you?"

"Aw crap, I have to go." Kurt said, briefly touching Leila's hand. "Will you take a rain check?"

"Kurt?!" Scott's voice was getting closer.

"Maybe," she replied with a grin. "But you better leave, I'm sure Scott will jump to conclusions when he sees us together."

"Then let him. I mean it's not like we don't see him flirt with Jean"

Leila eyes got wide, "That wasn't what I was talking about…wait, you're flirting with me?"

"Maybe…" Kurt replied, grinning before he teleported away.

"Kurt…damn it." she cursed.

A split second later Scott entered the room, "Hey have you seen Kurt? He's late for our danger room session"

"Nope."

"Really," he replied, unconvinced, "then who were you talking to?"

"Myself, I do that a lot. Oh but don't worry," she said, seeing his wariness mixed in with disbelief. "I only answer myself back when I'm alone in the forest. The continuous conversation prevents me from being attacked by the bears."

"Couldn't you just…you know fight them off?"

"Of course, if I wanted to kill them. But I'm afraid poaching is illegal, even if there are no firearms involved." she said smiling smugly as she watched Scott take a couple of steps away from her.

"Right, well if you see him can you send him downstairs. He's been late twice already and the rest of us would like to begin in a timely manner."

"Yep I'll do that, but I'm sure he's down there already." she replied, grabbing a book from the shelf and sat down. When she looked up, she saw that Scott still hadn't left yet.

"Run along now Scott, you wouldn't want people to think that their leader thinks he's above the rules. Like you said, the other team members would prefer if practice started in a timely manner."

"You're snide remarks aren't necessary Leila. Just because you've been saddled with personal problems doesn't give you permission to put others down."

"You're right," she agreed, "it doesn't. But unfortunately, it's my personal problems that make others afraid of me. Now tell me, why is that?"

"People are afraid of your lack of control." Scott replied, somewhat relieved to get this off his chest, "For other's it's not so bad, they may accidentally blow something up or fall through their bed once in a while but it doesn't hurt anyone. But with you, if someone even accidentally startles you there's a possibility you might maul them. I don't want to play a game of Russian roulette with your powers when it comes to my team."

"And what about you Scott, you act as though you have such control over your powers when in fact all of that control lies in your fancy shades. If I were to take off your glasses right now, would half of this library be gone?"

"No, I can control my powers."

"No, you can't Scott." Leila shot back, "Your glasses can hide your power just like I hide mine. But one little slip from either of us, and the people closest to us will get hurt."

"Are you threatening Jean?" he growled.

"Of course not, I'm just trying to establish the pecking order. You may be the leader of the rest of the students here, but I only submit to someone I respect. A successful alpha male doesn't become like that just because he was born with testicles. He needs to earn that respect from the rest of the pack before any of them will roll over in submission.

"Don't kid yourself Leila, we're not all animals like you." he said coldly.

"Don't you have a training session to do, Scott?" she reminded him icily. "I'd hate for the rest of the pack to think their leader wasn't doing his job."

He walked away scowling which left Leila a great sense of triumph over winning the argument but also a sickening feeling of guilt knowing that he was right.

* * *

"Lord Nasrin, you have a phone call." A cool woman's voice said over the intercom on the desk.

The man let out an annoyed sigh and ran his fingers through his salt and pepper colored hair. This was his fourth receptionist he'd gone through this month and she was the least intelligent of them all.

"Then take a message Marci, that's what I'm paying you for." his voice shot back apathetically.

"But sir," she interrupted cautiously, "he requests to speak with you in person. He said it's regarding your daughter. I didn't know you had a daught" –

Ayrax cut her off by yanking the electrical cord that was connected to the intercom from the wall and picked up the phone.

"Who are you?" he growled into the receiver.

"Let's not waste time with idle chit chat." the voice replied almost lazily.

"I know where your daughter is _Lord_ Nassrin but I would require something in return."

"I don't respond well to blackmail Mr –"

"– Anderson and actually you will."

"What makes you think I'll comply with a criminal like you?"

The man's voice seemed to take on a lighter but condescending tone and said, "Me, a criminal? Lord Nassrin you flatter me, really. What I do isn't against the law in anyway; you may even find it to be philanthropic in nature. It's simple, you have the money I need and I have information pertaining to your daughter's whereabouts. We both get something out of the deal and I'm sure you've been anxious to reunite with after all these years apart."

"Nora took Leila with her after we separated." Ayrax replied bitterly, "I haven't seen my daughter in almost eight years. Her mother perished in a house fire and Leila ran away soon after that."

"Actually, people say that it was you who set the fire Lord Nassrin, and you know how news gets around. I'd hate for a little thing like arson to destroy your oh so lucrative career in politics."

"You can't prove anything." Ayrax replied, as if to reaffirm himself of that, "besides, Leila was never a daughter to me; once her mother died she became nothing more than an orphan. I have no daughter and you'd do well to remember it."

"That doesn't seem to be very fatherly of you," Mr. Anderson mused, "after all, even if you don't want to meet her, I'm sure she'd be eager to meet the man who gave her the X-Gene"

"Wait, Leila's a mutant?"

"My you catch on quickly." he quipped, "She's living in New York with Charles Xavier and the rest of his charges at the Institute for Gifted Children. It seems your daughter's powers are growing stronger every day."

"What exactly is her power?"

"It's the same as yours, she's a powerful shape shifter." he replied, "I'm sure you're so proud."

And indeed he was proud, not of his daughter but of the fact that his plan to overthrow the Saudi Arabian monarchy could work. All he needed was Leila. The plan was unfolding in his head; if he could gain Leila's trust and marry her off to Prince Ameed, the mutant powers of the royal family – plus his own- could bring about a new world order.

"I'll leave 1.5 million dollars in a Swiss bank account in your name, Mr. Anderson, and I'll give you the rest when my daughter is brought to me. But mark my words, if she is harmed in any way I'll have my men see to it that you'll never sleep again."

"Oh I'm sure they would." the man's voice replied in a condescending tone. "Good-bye Lord Nassrin, it's been a pleasure doing business with you."

Once Ayrax heard the line click he plugged the intercom back in and pushed the 'call' button.

"Yes?"

"Find my son, David, and send him here immediately. I have some things I'd wish to discuss with him."

**A.N. Woo! Finally done. I never thought I'd finish this chapter, what with all of the re-writes and everything. I hope you all enjoyed it. If you did please read and review, and even if you didn't please do the same. Oh and I apologize for any typos, I read through this several times before posting it but I'm drowsy from the quiet atmosphere of the library and can hardly see straight anymore.**


	7. Eavesdropping and a Question or Two

**A.N. First of all, I'd like to say thank you for the awesome reviews. It's really uplifting to know that people enjoy my work. On that note, unfortunately I don't foresee these chapters coming out any quicker than they have been. Classes have resumed for me and with school work, being in a musical, and working part time, it's very difficult to find the time (and the energy) to sit down and write. But never fear because the story will go on!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters (except Leila and her family/acquaintances) the people who made this TV show do. I am only borrowing them for my entertainment and hopefully yours. **

Chapter 7 ~ Eavesdropping and a Question – or Two

_Leila watched in horror as her mom picked up the revolver that was lying in the bottom of the tub and put it to her head._

"_Mama…"_

_CRASH_

_She heard a sickening thud of her mother hitting the tub's bottom and then felt a sudden jolt when the floorboards beneath her feet collapsed and she fell into the basement below. When she hit the bottom, she heard a horrible crack in her ribs and intense waves of pain shot through her chest making it hard for her to breathe. She crawled towards a broken water pipe near the corner of the house in order to escape from the heat of the flames. Then all of a sudden a large beam from above came crashing down feet from where she was sitting. Another one soon followed, and so did another and another until the entire roof began collapsing on itself. Realizing there was no way out, she curled up into a ball and wedged herself against the house's concrete foundation and tried to protect her head and neck from the falling debris. For a good twenty minutes her screaming was blocked out by the sounds of the crumbling house and the crackling of the flames above her. Eventually the extreme adrenaline rush her that her young body was under was too much for her and she passed out._

_When Leila awoke her entire body hurt and she had the taste of blood in her mouth. Sitting up, she brushed off the ashes and the dirt that caked her clothes and stood up. The sun was slowly rising and its glow was turning the sky to a pinkish hue. When Leila began surveying the damage she saw that the entire house was burnt to the ground. The only thing that was left was the concrete foundation that her grandfather put down almost thirty years ago, the very same foundation that probably saved her life. While maneuvering her way out of the burnt and charred wreckage she noticed the creamy colored head of her stuffed animal looking up at her. The rest of its body had been burned away and it's once joyful black button eyes now seemed lifeless and empty. With shaky hands she grabbed the toy and hugged it as tears began flowing down her cheeks. The fire, her mother's death, and her hopeless situation suddenly crashed upon her like a giant wave. She was alone, completely and utterly alone. Gently holding the stuffed bear by its head, she set him down on a bed of ashes and made her way into the forest._

Leila opened her eyes and found her back in Xavier's office again. She hastily wiped away the tears that were beginning to spill and unsuccessfully tried to regain her composure.

"I remember…" she replied quietly while still trying to work out the events in her head.

"Oh my god, I _remember_!" this time she began to feel sick and the professor handed her a glass of water which she spilled all over herself.

She groaned and tried to steady her shaking hands by resting her head into them. "Please don't make me do this anymore professor. I cannot handle it. I've spent most of my life trying to block these memories out and reflecting back on them again….it's….it's just too much."

The professor sighed, he knew how important these sessions were but didn't want to push Leila too far.

"No more," Leila replied, still trembling. "No more."

She left his office in a rush and ran into something outside the door, knocking it to the ground.

"What the…Kurt!?"

"Oh…hey fancy meeting you here." he replied grinning.

She didn't know what to say. _Why is he eavesdropping on me again? Doesn't he have better things to do with his time, s_he asked herself after stepping over him and making her way back to her room.

"Leila, wait…"

--Bamf--

"Hey, I didn't mean to make you angry." Kurt replied, taking a seat on her bed. "I'm sorry"

"Leave me alone Kurt." she said without looking back at him.

"Listen," he said placing a hand on her shoulder, "I honestly didn't mean to eavesdrop this time. I was just walking past the door and heard your voice and it sounded angry."

When she didn't respond Kurt got off the bed and knelt down in front of her. "Leila?"

Her eyes were fixed on his tennis shoes. It was as though she was trying to burn a hole through them.

"I'm sorry Leila. I really am."

"Stop apologizing Kurt." she replied coldly.

"Then what do you want me to do Leila? It hurts to see you angry with me."

She let out a long sigh and slid to the floor, "Nothing Kurt, you don't have to do anything for me."

"You may say nothing but I know there is something bothering you and I'd like to help."

"Do you really want to know what is bothering me Kurt?" she asked as her frustration boiled, "Why do I have to keep reliving all of the awful things that have happened to me, hmm? Why does the professor insist on uncovering the things in my past that I have worked so hard to hide?"

"The professor is trying to get you to let go of the things that have happened and move on." Kurt replied taking her hand.

"No," Leila said, pulling her hand away, "Suicide, abandonment, abuse, and rape are not things you can let go of so easily. When I go to sleep I see my mother putting that gun to her head or I feel _him_ inside of me and smell the alcohol on his breath. Each time I watch my mother die or watch as my innocence gets stolen from me I die a little inside. What sucks even more is that I was under the impression that by coming here I would be able to control my powers."

"You are getting better at" –

"No Kurt I'm not getting better at controlling them. I mean I've been here for more than a month and I still can't run any danger room sessions because I almost mauled Storm."

"That wasn't your fault." he interjected.

"I know but I still feel responsible."

"You just need to give this time." Kurt said taking her hand once more. This time she didn't pull away.

"I don't think I have time." she mumbled, mostly to herself. "Do you know how hard it is for me to be separated from the forest? I spent a good part of my life alone and away from society and sometimes I miss the solitude."

"Here come with me," Kurt replied, pulling her to her feet.

"Where are you taking me?"

"It's a secret. Close your eyes."

"We are going to get in trouble." she warned.

"We won't be gone long, just please close your eyes."

Leila did so and suddenly felt the ground disappear beneath her feet.

--Bamf—

When the ground re-appeared she felt her legs give way and if it wasn't for Kurt holding on to her, she would have collapsed to the ground. Once the strength in her legs returned she opened her eyes. They were standing on a large cliff that was overlooking the Hudson River. Everything was quiet and even though she wasn't that far from the mansion if she closed her eyes it felt as if she were back in the forest.

"See this place can be home to you as well, if you just let it." Kurt replied.

"Thank you Kurt."

"No problem." he said before teleporting away.

Leila sat on the ground, closed her eyes, and tried to enjoy the rare serenity but all that came to her mind was Kurt.

* * *

Almost two months had passed since Leila arrived at the institute and the place was slowly beginning to feel more like home and once she established a routine she found that the time flew by. Every morning she would strength and agility train with Logan and in the afternoons she would be homeschooled by both Storm and the Professor. Leila enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere during the day because she could then concentrate on the subjects she needed to catch up on but once the other students came home she took some of her textbooks and went outside.

Unfortunately, her mutation was the one factor that threatened to destroy the new life she had here. Every time she went outside or anytime there were too many people in the around her she could feel the animal trying to claw its way out. People noticed this of course but most of them were either too afraid or to say anything or – in Scott's case – too guarded to even take notice. Eating dinner was always the hardest because the amount of people and their activity levels varied due to after school sports and extracurricular activities. Sometimes there would only be a handful of people eating at a time but other times there would be a mad rush in the kitchen and the noise and activity would be so overwhelming that Leila would have to leave. Thankfully today was not one of those busy days.

"I am warming up some leftovers if you want some." Jean said to Leila who was reading a book at the table.

"No thank you. I'm not that hungry."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah I don't feel well. But do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Of course not, what is it?" Jean replied as she punched in the timer on the microwave and hit START.

"Do your powers ever get too much for you to handle. That is I mean, if you don't use them for a while."

"I actually don't know. I've never been put in that situation I guess. I use my powers daily and the sessions in the Danger Room help hone and strengthen them. Is that why you don't feel well? When was the last time you used your powers?"

"Two months ago." she whispered, praying that Jean wouldn't propose the one solution that she didn't want to do.

"Hmm, well I'd talk to the Professor about it." Jean suggested, "I mean, it's defiantly impressive that you've been able to go this long without phasing but why torture yourself?"

"If I change I'm afraid I'll never come back. I've only gone this long once before and that was…" she paused, thinking back to when she was being pursued by poachers in Maine, "…a disaster. Being alone in the woods does something to you and I just don't want to risk it."

"Well I know a lot of us would miss you if you left."

"Really, like who?" she scoffed.

"Kurt and don't pretend like you haven't noticed. He has fallen head over heels for you ever since he first saw you in the forest. I mean at first I thought he liked Kitty because he was always flirting with her and stuff. But now that you're here his interests have defiantly changed."

Kitty…the mention of her name put a bad taste in Leila's mouth. Jealousy threatened to rear its ugly head but she forced it down by blocking out the idea of them two together.

"It wouldn't work anyway." Leila said as she rose from the table, "We're two completely different people and with my … baggage … it just wouldn't work."

Little did she know that Kurt was around the corner listening to every word.

**A.N. I'm done…..oh my god I am finally done with this chapter! Almost freaking four or five months later! At least the eight chapter is almost done since I split my original seventh chapter into a seventh and eighth one. Hopefully you guys like it and please R & R.**


	8. An Unexpected Transformation

**A.N. After a long delay, here is chapter eight. Please Read and Review. Your comments are very much appreciated.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men characters (except for my original creations). Therefore credit must go to where credit is due. I do not intend to make money off of this work. I am only writing it for my entertainment and hopefully some of yours.**

**Chapter 8 ~ An Unexpected Transformation**

The phone rang in Professor Xavier's office and when he lifted the phone to his ear, a man's cold voice began talking.

"I know my daughter is with you." He said,

"And who exactly are you?" Xavier asked suspiciously. It was all too common for both pranksters and discriminatory parents to call and harass his students.

"I am an associate of someone who calls himself 'Mr. Anderson'."

Xavier identified Magneto's alias at once and began to feel worried. _What is he planning now? _he thought.

"I can assure you that whatever this ... Mr. Anderson has been telling you is not true." Xavier replied, his suspicion mounting.

"I beg to differ." He replied icily, "It was up until a month ago that I thought my daughter, Leila, had died with her mother in a house fire. Of course, it is then brought to my attention that Leila is not actually dead and has been living at your so-called school."

"It is a good thing she came here." Xavier replied, "Her powers are too strong for her to control right now and I'm afraid given her current mental state, they will impede her from living a healthy and successful life."

"She will have a healthy and successful life once she is returned to me." He said. "I will make sure of it."

"What she needs is extensive psychotherapeutic help."

"What are you saying?" the man growled, "My daughter is not crazy! How dare you even infer that – "

"Forgive me _sir,_ but your daughter has been subjected to serious amounts of physical and sexual abuse. It is amazing that she is even semi functional around small groups of people. Therefore, I must insist that she stay here with us."

"No, _I_ must insist that she be returned to me. Since she is not yet eighteen and since I am legally her guardian, she will be returned to me by tonight."

"Why now? Why help your daughter now Mr. Nassrin? You abandoned her when her mother died and she has been on her own for almost ten years. Why chose now to contact her?"

"I don't need to explain myself to anyone, least of all to you." Lord Nassrin snapped. "You've seen her power. It is too dangerous to leave her alone –"

"Don't talk to me as though I don't know Leila. I know more about your daughter than even you do!" Xavier boomed. He rarely ever let himself get this angry but there was just something about this man that got under his skin. "I have seen into her mind. I have seen her struggle and I have seen her control improve greatly since she arrived here. My students and staff have been more of a family to her than you have ever been in her entire life. And we will still remain so."

Immediately after Xavier slammed the phone back onto the receiver, a sharp pain shot through his right temple and images began flashing before his mind. He saw a cruel and dark-haired man grab Leila and drag her out of a room. He then saw people, bleeding and emaciated, writhing in pain on the floor of a dungeon as the man threw Leila in with them. He saw a young girl with bright blue eyes that seemed to penetrate his soul. He then saw the X-Men disappear one by one and heard Magneto laughing jovially, "Yes! Yes. It is working!"

* * *

"_Guten Tag_." Kurt said cheerfully as he entered the kitchen. Noticing the sad look on Leila's face and the concerned look on Jean's he added, "I hope I'm not interrupting something."

"You aren't." Leila replied almost bitterly, "We're done talking."

Jean opened her mouth as if to say that they most certainly weren't done talking but Leila gave her a stony look which kept her mouth shut.

"I am only looking out for you." Jean said.

"I know and I appreciate that. Really, I do." Leila replied as she grabbed Kurt's arm, wincing when her nails dug into his skin. _I just don't like to feel weak_. She thought to Jean. By ignoring the dull throb in her head, she planned to do just that.

With a rough yank, Leila pulled Kurt out of the kitchen and out to the grand staircase. "I know you were eavesdropping again Kurt. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, but that's just how I feel."

"How do you know that we are not good for each other, Leila?" he asked, "You haven't given us a chance yet."

"Kurt!" she exclaimed, sounding harsher than she meant to, "Listen to me. I am not good for you. I cannot give you the things a normal girl can give. We can't go out on dates; I cannot go to school with you or even go to a sporting event with you. I cannot do the things a normal girlfriend can do."

"You can though – "

"I cannot kiss you Kurt." She said, cutting to the chase. Her stomach was now doing flip flops and it took everything in her to not curl up into a ball "Though it may take us a while to get to that point, eventually you will want to kiss me, and I, you. I cannot even be a person anyone wants to be around, let alone go out with."

"Leila, don't look at the things we can't do. Look at the things we can. We can climb onto the roof and look at the stars. We can go for a walk. I can teach you how to play _Schafkopf_. I will never ask you to do anything that with me intimately until you are ready."

"Kurt. Listen to me and listen good." She said, "I cannot – " but stopped and fell into Kurt's arms clutching her head. The dull throb turned into a sharp pain which exploded behind her eyes and began pounding to the beat of her pulse.

"Leila?" Kurt asked as he tried to ease her to the floor. Her fingers began fusing to her palms and he heard the sick cracking as her hands stretched into paws. For the first time, Kurt actually saw fear in Leila's eyes and it broke his heart.

Hearing the commotion, Jean ran out of the kitchen, saw the grotesque sight, and began alerting the house. She knelt down next to Kurt and helped him restrain her – now clawed – arms and legs.

"Leila, try to hold on. I have sent for help!" Jean begged.

Leila's screams filled the house once her patella broke and he legs were forced to bend outward. Blood began dripping from her mouth as her facial features began rearranging themselves.

Logan and Storm were downstairs first and helped restrain Leila's limbs which they hoped would help prevent her from accidentally hurting someone.

"Why is this happening so slowly? "What set her off?" Strom asked as she tried to restrain her upper body.

"Nothing!" Kurt replied, grimacing as her claws began digging into his arm. "We were talking and suddenly_ this_ happened!"

"This shouldn't be happening so slowly! Her transformation usually takes seconds, not minutes!" Storm said.

"Storm, she said she wasn't feeling well." Jean replied, "She asked if it was normal for mutants with her condition to get physically ill when they are separated from things that comfort them. She said she hasn't transformed since, well, the session in the Danger Room."

Leila's golden eyes met Jeans and she let out weak roar.

"NO!" Jean screamed and backed away from Leila. "No, no, no! I can't do that!"

"Jean?" Scott asked as he rushed to her side, "What happened? Tell me what's wrong."

"I can feel her pain!" She cried and screamed in unison with Leila when her ribs began breaking and reforming to accommodate a larger respiratory system. Sobbing, Jean curled into a fetal position. "It hurts so much."

"No! Leila I can't do that!" she yelled out loud. "I WILL NOT KILL YOU!"

_Leila, it's ok. I know you are in pain. It will be over soon._ The professor said feeling helpless. _Please hold on a little longer and it will all be over._

"We need to let go of her and make it to the second floor." Logan growled, noticing the orange and black fur sprouting from her skin. "She is almost done phasing and I don't want to be down here with a 300 pound, hungry tiger."

At the same time, Logan, Scott (with Jean in his arms), and Storm began making their way up the staircase; but instead of following, Kurt took a few steps back and kneeled down again.

"Kurt!" Kitty hissed, "Are you stupid. She will kill you."

"I will not leave until I know she's okay." he replied stubbornly.

"Kid, don't be stupid." Logan replied and cautiously made his way back down the staircase.

Leila's eyes snapped open when she heard his footsteps approaching her. Despite being weakened by the change, she stood up and let out a warning growl.

"Logan..." Storm warned as the rest of the X-men watched and waited with baited breath.

Leila lowered her face to the ground and took in everyone's scents. The smell of her human blood and sweat was strong, but the smell of the group's fear and anxiety was even stronger. One particular scent caught her attention, however, and Kurt's eyes widened as she began to plod towards him.

"Don't move Kurt." the Professor warned, "Don't look her in the eyes and for God sakes, do not teleport! I do not want her to frighten her."

"You don't have to tell me twice professor." he whispered as Leila sniffed his neck.

He didn't smell like the rest of them and Leila picked up on that. The powerful smell of his pheromones both confused and interested her. In one way, he smelled like the other humans – warm and salty – but in another way, he smelled like an animal – earthy and spicy. Upon further inspection of his body, Leila found his transmorpher watch and pressed the button with her nose. Kurt's human image faded out like an antennae signal and revealed his blue elfish body. Even though Leila the human had watched him change between the two appearances, Leila the tigress had not and her look of bewilderment was almost comical. Leila made Kurt's image transition a couple more times until she was satisfied with the fact that the watch was no threat.

"Professor what do we do now?" Scott asked, his voice shattering the tense atmosphere. "This animal may be calm now, but we can't just let a tiger run around the mansion."

"The tiger's name is Leila, Scott." Jean interjected coolly as she wiped the tears from her eyes, "Don't de-humanize her by referring to her as 'this animal.'"

"Well we obviously can't let her go outside." Storm replied, "Tigers are not common in New York and she may hurt someone."

"We'll put her in the Danger Room." Logan replied, "We can program it to simulate a jungle habitat and leave her there until she changes back. No one is allowed to enter that room until she becomes human again. You hear me furball?"

"Yes, yes!" Kurt exclaimed, now flat on his back as Leila lay across his legs like a giant house cat. "Just get her off of me. My legs have fallen asleep!"

"And how exactly are we gonna get her down to the Danger Room?" Rogue asked.

"I can try to levitate her." Jean suggested.

"What if that freaks her out?" Kitty asked, "I don't want to risk pissing her off. We can try to lure her there like my parents do with my cat. Maybe she will follow a trail of food."

"It wouldn't hurt to try." The professor replied. "I think there are a couple pounds of hamburger meat in the fridge – "

" – For hamburgers later – ." Scott mumbled gloomily.

" – Why don't you go get them Kitty."

Kitty returned a minute later with two large trays full of hamburger meat and gave one to Rogue. "We need to ball these up and leave a bread crumb trail downstairs."

"Leila" Rogue called as she threw a meat ball near her, "Heere kitty!"

The meat landed with a wet smack which got her attention. Faster than they expected, Leila got off of Kurt and snatched up the meat.

"Quick, start making more!" Kitty cried as she dropped another meat ball next to the stairs.

As Rogue and Kitty lured Leila into the Danger Room, Logan was waiting in the control room with Professor X awaiting their signal.

"I am having a hard time getting a trace on her mind Logan." The professor said sadly. "She keeps fading in and out like a poorly tuned radio. I am worried that if this continues on any longer, I might lose her completely."

"We won't let that happen, Charles." Logan replied as Kitty threw the last meat ball towards the far end of the room. "She is strong and despite my opinion of the furball, he seems to be helping her."

"Yes he does." the professor replied as he watched Leila bound into the faux jungle room. The door locked behind her with a satisfying clang.

"Well that went better than expected." Storm commented as she joined the two men. "But do we have enough food to feed her?"

**A.N. First of all, I'm not dead. I apologize about the unforgivably long amount of time it took me to submit this. I suck. (I wrote this chapter while flying on a plane during my winter break) Second of all, I hope you enjoyed the slightly upbeat ending to the chapter because it is only going to get darker. Third of all, I know I am writing Scott as sort of a brat. I really don't think of him like that but I haven't had time to flesh out his feelings towards Leila. He obviously dislikes her but she doesn't understand why. There will be a little Scott/Leila bonding in the future. They may not see eye-to-eye but at least they will understand one another. Lastly, please review. Post a comment or constructive criticism. I read them all and I greatly appreciate them!**


	9. Almost Human

**A.N. Here is Chapter 9 Hot off the press. I apologize for the grammatical errors that are undoubtably in this chapter. I wanted to finish it before I had to work tomorrow and will be periodically editing it once I get more time. As always, my thanks and eternal gratitude goes out to my awesome readers and reviewers. Despite my slow updates, I still see all of your favorite story/author notices in my Inbox. Enjoy and constructive criticism in the form of a review is always appreciated!**

**Chapter 9 – Almost Human**

Later that night, Leila woke up to a throbbing head and a very upset stomach.

"Oh, what did I eat?" she asked aloud as her stomach emitted sick rumbling sounds.

She tried to get up but her legs shook so violently that she fell down in a defeated heap. She tried to occupy her mind by looking at her surroundings, but even casual glances at the jungle's foliage made her stomach do summersaults. Instead, Leila curled up into a fetal position and blankly stared off into the distance. Despite being free from her servitude to Harvey, Leila still felt like she was enslaved by the animal inside of her.

"Leila, are you ok?" a voice asked. It was still a good distance away. He or she was probably waiting to see if the hungry tiger from earlier that day was still roaming the jungle.

"Yes." she whispered her voice hoarse and dry. "Yes!" she repeated louder which made her voice break. He throat felt like she had swallowed hot coals.

Storm and Logan emerged from the bushes first and stopped a good twenty feet away.

"Is it okay for us to approach?" Storm asked.

"I-I don't know." she admitted. Even though Leila's feral mind was unpredictable, she could usually determine whether she was going to shift. Yet, when she tried to access her animal subconscious, all she got was a snarling ball of energy that radiated fear, disgust, and hate.

"Leila I have a blanket for you. When I give it to you, can you wrap it around yourself and walk slowly to us." Storm asked, tossing the blanket next to her.

She smirked. Leila found it depressingly funny that it took an event like this to finally make the rest of the X-Men realize that she is indeed dangerous.

Wrapping the blanket around her naked, dirty, and scratched up body, Leila grabbed onto the knots of a nearby tree to help her stand up. Now that she was above the dense foliage, she could clearly see Logan waiting in the shadows near Storm. Even in the dim light, the glint from his claws was unmistakable. Leila took a step towards them and then stopped. Her body was weak, but her hold over the animal inside her was weaker. Each additional step only served to make her feel more nauseated and exhausted. When she finally reached Storm, the blanket was drenched in sweat and she was shaking uncontrollably.

"Logan, she's not going to make it to the infirmary on her own." Storm called out.

Leila's heartbeat was racing uncontrollably and she struggled to catch her breath.

"Calm down kid. I've got ya." Logan said as he scooped her up like a child and set out for the door at a run.

She then blacked out. The next thing Leila saw was Storm putting an oxygen mask over her face while a very anxious looking Kurt looked on from the doorway.

"I – I'm dying." Leila choked out as her frantic heartbeat began pounding in her ears.

"No, you're not. You're fine." Jean lied as she began inserting an IV into her arm. Yet, it was not hard to notice the fear in Leila's eyes. "You just need to stay with us alright? _Stay with us!_

_Leila found herself back at the gypsy camp and watched in horror as her 14 year-old self phased into the lion. Hungry and afraid, the lion brought down the men in Harvey's tent one by one until there was nobody left but him. He brought a shotgun up and aimed down its barrel but his hands were shaking so much that he missed. In one fluid pounce, the lion was on top of him and her jaws severed his spinal cord with a sickening crunch._

"_Stop." Leila sobbed as she looked on. "Stop! You do not need to do this!"_

_The lion looked at her and began to slink towards her with a muzzle dripping with blood._

"_Why not?" The lion asked, "They defiled our body. They deserve to die."_

"_This is not who you are. You do not kill needlessly – "_

"_I am a hunter! I kill what I want!" The lion roared._

"_And what about me?" Leila asked the lion, "What about the human part of me. Don't you think that this killing is tearing me away from my humanity? I don't want to live out the rest of my life angry at the world because I was given a shitty life! I have finally found happiness here with the X Men and you are ruining it."_

"Storm, she's going into a seizure." Jean cried as Leila's body began. Kurt watched in horror and began muttering to himself in German.

"_Kurt is your mate." The lion replied, hearing Kurt's muttering. It wasn't a question._

"_I don't know." Leila replied, now embarrassed. _

"_He is praying for you." The lion noted, "He loves you."_

"_I know." She replied sadly, "But I can never return that love without hurting him. Our lust for revenge and anger towards the world is ruining my one shot at happiness. The only thing the animal part of me has done for me was ruin my life. My mother is dead, my father is gone, and this is killing me. This is literally killing me!"_

_Leila was now shouting as the pain, anger, and frustration from the past seven years escaped from her like water from a dam._

"_But I can give you the power to protect yourself. You do not have to be helpless!"_

"_The X Men have done a better job at protecting me during these four months than you have done for my entire life." Leila replied, "I created you because I needed to feel loved and protected. Now that I am, I think it is time you let me go."_

_The lion growled in obvious displeasure but did not say another word. Leila watched in slight sadness as the lion walked away. As the animal walked farther from Leila of its influence she felt in her mind. Once the animal was out of sight, she felt the connection she felt with her feral self dissolve into nothing. Soon, everything around them was becoming blurry and then grew dark._

* * *

When Leila's eyes opened, the lights were dim and Kurt was snoring softly in the chair beside her. She tried to sit up, but noticed that her arms and legs were tethered to the bed with some leather straps.

Hearing Leila's movement awoke Kurt and he immediately turned to Leila.

"Are you ok? How are you feeling? Can I get you anything?"

"Which question do you want me to answer first?" She croaked.

"I'm sorry." Kurt replied, his face still tense with worry. "I just thought you were going to die."

"I thought so too." She replied.

Kurt smiled sadly as he thought about how she looked going into a seizure and how Jean and Storm ran around frantically trying to make sure she didn't choke on her own vomit. He also noticed the bruises that were developing on her wrist and ankles. "I'm sorry about the restraints. The professor thought they were necessary to keep you from harming others and yourself."

"They are kinda uncomfortable." Leila admitted. "You couldn't loosen just one?"

"I'm sorry, Leila. I am under strict orders to not touch them. It's amazing they trusted me enough to let me be in here with you alone. I think some of them were afraid I would be stupid enough to teleport you away."

"Then do it. Let's run away from here. Just you and me."

"You don't mean that Leila." Kurt replied, gently stroking her hand. If she asked this of him a couple of days ago, he would have gone without question. In fact, he would have reveled in getting into a little mischief with her. But now, after everything she has been through and after she made her feelings perfectly clear, Kurt knew it wouldn't be possible.

"Yes I do, Kurt! I don't think the animal inside of me anymore. I don't feel its influence and I think it is because of you. While I was unconcious, I asked ... well, myself I guess ... to leave me alone and to give the ability to be with you without wanting to hurt you. And guess what? It worked! I don't feel the animal's influence anymore. I feel almost human!"

Kurt shook his head in disbelief and tried to calm Leila down. "It must be the medicine they gave you. It is making you say these things and is dulling your awareness to that part of you. You cannot get rid if your mutant powers, no matter hard you try."

Leila tried to open her mouth in protest, but Storm suddenly entered the room and injected a clear fluid into her IV.

"Sleep now, Leila." She said, "You need to rest. You have been through a lot today."

Almost immediately, her mind began to feel slow and groggy and her eyes were getting very heavy. The sedative was pulling her into unconsciousness like quicksand. She caught Kurt's eyes one more time and slurred out the phrase that he desperately wanted to hear and the one she yearned for months to say.

"Wait! Don't let me go. ... I love you."

The last thing she remembered before the sedative made her dead to the world was the feeling of a warm, furred hand grab her own hand and gently caressed it with his thumb.

* * *

When Leila awoke again, her arms and legs were no longer strapped down to the bed and the lights were dimmed. She looked over to where Kurt had been sitting and felt her heart sink a little when she saw that the chair was empty.

"I sent him away to get some sleep." Xavier's voice said from the darkness. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, well no, I'm actually better than okay." Leila replied, "The animal...well my animal side...I think it's gone."

"I know." The professor replied, "While you were sleeping I did a complete scan of your mind."

Leila felt her face flush in embarrassment as she realized that he probably saw her thoughts and feelings for Kurt and began to pick at a thread that had come undone on the blanket. "And?"

"There has definitely been improvement, but my tests have been inconclusive. You've obviously been able to subdue that other part of you, but I'm afraid that it is not the same thing as actually controlling it."

"What are you saying?" Leila said as her brows furrowed in disbelief and disappointment, "That I'm still dangerous?"

"Leila" The professor said gently as he wheeled himself next to her bed, "Our powers will always hold an element of danger with them, but that does not make you any less human."

"I am sorry for all of this trouble I have caused you." Leila replied, "When Logan found me in the forest, I only decided to go with because I wanted to have an opportunity to live a normal life. Then after living here and after experiencing many close calls and now ... this ..." she gestured to the hospital bed she was laying in, "it seems that my goals for coming here have all been for nothing."

The professor sternly looked at Leila, "Never apologize for coming here Leila. That is what my school was meant for. It was, and still is, a safe haven for mutants – of all types – to come and seek sanctuary, companionship, and guidance. While burying the animal part of you deep inside may seem like a victory, in retrospect, it is no different than changing a part of yourself to please others. I never wanted to fix your mutation, I only want to help you harness it and use it to help others and to promote peace. Believe me, despite all of the accidents you've had while here, I am glad you decided to stay with us."

Leila was silent for a long time simply because she could not express in words her gratitude for Professor Xavier's understanding. She remained silent while he ran some blood tests and checked her vital signs.

Then as he made his way towards the door, Leila stopped him.

"Thank you Professor."

He smiled and said, "You're welcome Leila. Now get some rest." Then he left the room.


End file.
